Ah, another week already! This week I have a quick tip for reviving your dried up nail polish, especially if you want to use it one last time…
Leaving your nail polish untouched or not screwing the bottle cap back on properly can dry up the formula, leaving it thicker and much harder to apply. For a quick fix, add a few drops of nail polish remover into the bottle and shake well. This will ‘thin’ out the formula a bit for a much smoother application for awhile, or at least until you stock up with a new bottle!
Oh and another tip to make your nail polish last longer? Keep them in the fridge!
How do you deal with dried up polishes? Do you do anything special (like this tip?) or just buy a new bottle? I used to just toss the bottle and get a new one, but if it’s a color I really love (especially gray) then I’d try to ‘prolong’ it. :)
Softer than black but just as edgy… I have a new obsession! Remember my post on the fucshia lips trend? Well, I may be a bit late, but I am loving the gray nail polish trend that’s been spotted everywhere. I’m a little tired of black nails and this is the perfect alternative – I adore dark nails so this still fits the bill, and though some might think gray is a ‘boring’ color, gray nails are anything but. It looks edgy, sophisticated, punk and beautiful… just like black.
When I first saw gray nail polish, I had to try it. I was too impatient so I went to my local beauty supply store and bought one for four bucks; what a steal! Though the polish smudged and flaked within a day (what did I expect?) it was good enough for me to ‘confirm’ that I love the color and it suited me. Fast-forward to me furiously researching online and writing this post! :)
Want to try out the gray nails trend? Here are some nail polishes I found:
- OPI Nail Polish in “You Don’t Know Jacques”
- OPI Nail Polish “Sheer Your Toys”
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish “Gunmental”
- YSL La Laque Long Lasting Nail Lacquer in “Tuxedo Gray”
- Zoya Nail Polish in “Freja”
- China Glaze Nail Laquer in “Recycle”
What do you think of gray nails – crazy or cool? ;) (Hmm. Maybe I should’ve put this under Crazy or Cool… Oh well! Let me know what you think, and if you know any other brands that make gray nail polish, feel free to add to the list! :)
For those of us who has chores to do – or worse, clean a whole house! – try to get into the habit of wearing gloves.
Why? Cleaning agents are extremely harsh for our hands and our nails. Nails actually swell slightly when they are wet, and then shrink back to size once dry. Couple this with harsh detergents, this can cause brittle and broken nails. Also – I don’t think I need to mention how dry and scaly our hands feel after washing the dishes!
Even better, when wearing rubber gloves while cleaning, moisturize your hands fully with hand lotion and then slip on the gloves – you can give yourself a moisturizing hand mask while you’re at it!
What do you think of this tip? Will you be trying it out?
Image: Victoria Beckham in Glamour.
One of the greatest beauty way to relax is to give yourself a pedicure in the comfort of your own home. (Here are more beauty ways to relax and de-stress.)
(Sure, getting a professional pedicure is even more relaxing, but I would’nt want you to spend money on extravagant pedicures – unless it’s for a special occasion – when you can do it just as well at home.)
So here are my tips on giving yourself a great at-home pedicure. It may not be exactly what the “professionals” do but it works for me, and hopefully it will help you out.
As always, if you have any other suggestions or ideas, do add them into the comments. :)
What you need:
- nail polish: base coat polish, nail color, top coat
- conditioning oil
- cuticle stick (optional, a nail file will do fine as well)
- a nail file
- a tub
- warm water
- foot scrub
- towel
What to do:
1. Start with completely bare nails. Grab a bowl large enough for both your feet and fill it half with milk and half with warm water. Place your feet in and allow it to soak for 10 minutes or so.
2. Drop conditioning oil on your cuticles and massage gently, allowing your cuticles to become even more softer. Gently use whatever tool you prefer (a nail file with a curved edge does the trick for me) and gently push back your cuticles. Clip off anything that is hanging off, if not, gently pushing them back will be fine. Not having any cuticles can lead to infections!
3. File your nails so that the edges are smooth, and also to the ‘shape’ you want them. I normally do my toenails in a square shape, which is fairly easy to do: just file straight across! If you like your toenails to be more rounded, start filing as if you were filing them straight, then go back to the outer corners and file them into the center in a circular, ’round’ motion.
4. Soak your foot in a little tub, to create your very own foot bath. This could be simple warm water in the tub, or you can add a cup of milk to smooth your skin as well.
Remember: keep the water lukewarm in case of any spills, so no accidents happen. Still, be careful when handling the warm water and don’t fill it up too much – just enough water that goes under your ankles is fine.
5. Apply a foot scrub (you can make this DIY scrub recipe and use it for your feet) and then wash it in your foot bath. Let soak for as long as you like, but the recommended time is no more than 15 minutes.
6. After your foot scrub, dry your feet with a towel. Grab your nailpolishes – base coat, nail polish, and top coat – and find a quiet spot that also helps you reach your feet easily. What I normally do is sit on my couch and put my feet on the coffee table. Easy access!
7. Apply your base coat. Allow to dry for at least 7 minutes. (If you have a super quick drying formula though, it could take less time.)
8. Apply two coats of the nail polish color, with a 10 minutes interval from the first coat to the second. If you’re like me and only like deep dark colors on your toenails, wait at least 15 minutes.
9. Next, apply your top coat and then leave your nails again for at least 7 minutes.
10. Last but not least, once your nails are completely dry, apply moisturizer all over your feet.
I personally like to give myself a pedicure when I’m watching a DVD and have snacks all around me, because there are quite a few waiting intervals and the movie will help the waiting time pass much faster. Also, I like to multitask. :) Do you do pedicures at home?
It may sound vain to travel an hour to and fro for a mani/pedi, but … well, I got nothing. Maybe it is vain. However, I really wanted to experience a ‘royal retreat’!
Tucked away in a little (but popular) shopping mall, Royale Retreat is like that place you always go to meet your friends – kinda like Friends and Central Perk coffee place! Royale Retreat is owned by a husband and wife team and is a cozy, friendly, inviting place.
Mani and Pedi
I came for a manicure and pedicure that was pure enjoyment, although the surroundings made it much better. Royale Retreat’s owner, Selina is big on aromatherpay, so essential oils filled the hair. Not to mention, the seats are actually massage chairs (you guys know how much I love massages!) so that was just that little extra that made the whole experience enjoyable. I was also watching He’s Just Not That Into You on a big TV screen (which by the way, I think I have issues with that movie, they portray women terribly!) while chatting to the nail therapists. Also, one thing that Royale Retreat is very proud of is the absence of those weird blow drying machines that other nail salons use. It’s not that great for the nails, so at Royale Retreat your mani and pedi will be taken care of with OPI’s Professional Quick-Dry System.
I also enjoyed a hand massage with pure Shea butter, which I had never seen before (it smells though) and my hands were later wrapped in cling-wrap and put in heated mittens, resulting in them being super soft and smooth after.
After the pampering, I had a chat with Selina, the owner, who is very passionate about her business. I was really impressed at how she wants the best of the best in her store, which also includes a wall of speciality nail products for you to use. The nail polishes are mainly OPI (the best, I hear?) as well as Orly, Missha, Dior and Chanel.
The colors used on my were OPI’s Passion for my fingers, and Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow, which is a beautiful black green from their latest Espana collection.
I was the most excited about this the whole day! It’s beautiful. I would’ve taken a photo of it, but my crocked toes might make your lunch pop up again. Instead, this blogger has some great swatches of it! I LOVE it. It looks like black but with a little ‘edge’ – and who would’ve thought that black wasn’t edgy enough?!
And just so you can have an idea; my manicure lasted about 6 days, and my pedicure is still going strong after exactly two weeks.
Not just a nail place
When Royale Retreat say they are a nail spa, they really do mean spa. The place is infused with essential oils and smels wonderful, so that customers feel relaxed and calm – you know, really pampered! I was also very kindly given my very own little aromatherapy experience – Selina kindly gave me a candle holder (what are they called, I’ve never done this before?!) and an uplifting oil to burn. I will be writing about my very first aromatherapy experience soon.
Hygiene is very important at Royale Retreat, and everything is clean and sanitized after each customer with OPI’s Swiss Clean System. Last but not least, like I mentioned earlier – it is also a mini shop! Royale Retreat also sell other nail products, and their very own in-house Royale Retreat spa products.
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The weekend before I left for Europe, I met up with fellow beauty blogger Sophie of Beautynomics at a cozy lttle place called Pink Parlor. It was a chance to catch up and meet, as it will be awhile ’til we are both in the same country!
At Pink Parlour, our treatments are designed with the best results, with you in mind. So that you are pampered from head to toe, and treated like the princess or queen you deserve to be. We tailor mind-body-spirit solutions to your unique needs and expectations. Do ask any of our qualified consultants about customising your experience to meet your specific needs.
Pink Parlor is like a girl’s dream hangout: Gossip Girl is playing on a big screen in front of us, chocolates and drinks were served, and it really is such a cute, cozy place … I love the pink and black interior, as you can probably tell it’s my favorite color combination. ;-)
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It’s no secret my favorite color is black. I’ve been painting my toenails black since I was 14 (don’t ever plan on changing), so when the trend to have black glossy finger nails started, I jumped at it!
Though the trend started a while back, it seems black is definitely here to stay.
In this month’s French Vogue, they had a gorgeous spread featuring the stunning Daria Werbowy) and this photo just blew me away – it’s all my favorite beauty looks in one: rich brown waves full of volume, dark smokey eyes, and the blackest nails ever!
How to get Dark, Glossy Black Nails:
- File your nails down to a normal nail length (too long and this look will look a little too witchy).
- Apply a base coat – the dark polish could stain your nails.
- Apply two coats of black polish, (let 15 minutes inbetween to really let the color dry).
- Apply a shiny coat on top for the extra shine and gloss.
And if you’re interested in Daria’s whole look in general, here are some articles I’ve written in the past that could help:
What are your thoughts on the ‘black’ nail polish trend? Back in the day when I started with the black nails, my Mom got a little worried, thinking I’d turn evil or something! :-P
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